Topic: Where to start - the orders of operation on a newbie's first bike

[formasfunction]

So I've spent the last couple of days pouring over this forum and I'm amazed at the wealth of knowledge.  I just bought a running 1974 1975 CB550 that seems to be in pretty good condition (it purrs along nicely with nothing glaringly wrong but it's certainly seen better times) but being a newbie both to motorcycles and engine repair in general I wanted to know where to start working on it and in what order I should work my way through the bike.  The only obvious problem at the moment seems to be that the battery isn't charging which is a well traversed subject on this site so I feel equipped to handle that.  From there, though, I'd like to know how to prioritize work on the bike based on critical importance and common occurrence - everything from should I replace the bearings ASAP to at what point I should dig into the carbs.  I'd hate to find out that previous work will only need to be redone because of subsequent work or that, like those ill fated Honda's with the weak timing belts, there was something I should have checked out as soon as I bought the bike but since I didn't it's now a huge paperweight.

Sorry if this is something thats already been covered here.  I've looked over all of the FAQs and searched old posts and it looks like I can find out how to do almost anything just not exactly in what order to do it.

Thanks,
Greg

[wardmoto]

Get liquor...and check bank accounts.  When that is done, ask yourself what is the end result you would like to accomplish...what is your goal?  Without that, you are pissing in the wind.  Let me know your answer and we will move forward....

[heffay]

i'd say listen to the bike... does it sound a little loud like cam chain rattle or maybe a loose tappet?  listening to what the bike is telling you will often lead to your most needed fixes.

check your tires, chain and sprockets. 

good luck and welcome to the club!

[formasfunction]

Liquor - check! (I'm from KY, living in TN so it's whiskey all the way). Bank account - check! (I'm a single guy with a decent job and roommates who pay half my mortgage).

My goal - to have a stylish (check) bike that I can take out for weekend trips and go camping.  To ride with my dad who has a Honda Goldwing (late 90's) in the later years of his life, maybe even bond a little while I do it.  To learn the ins and outs of a classic motorcycle so that later in life I might find myself with two or three and a wife who hates them all.  Really, I've wanted a cafe racer for about 5 years now and I'd love to put my time into something like this.  One day I might like to have a cool racing seat and a full fairing but for today, and probably the next few years, I'd like to start by making this thing run like a clock.

To answer heffay - there are two things besides the battery issue that I've noticed
1. There is definitely what sounds like a chain rattle when I ride it.  It doesn't rattle when I'm sitting still idling or revving it but it definitely does when I'm moving along.  Would this indicate a cam chain rattle?
2. It looks like there is a little bit of oil coming out at the seem below the big nut (near the spark plug) on the third cylinder from the left (looking at it head on).  It seems fairly minimal and I can't tell if it's from somewhere else so I just cleaned it off today to see if it shows up again the next time I ride.
3. There was one time when I opened the throttle and it felt like the bike started to die and then kicked in but this is my first bike and I have literally only about 45mins of riding time so far (around my block) so it might have been user error.  It hasn't happened since.

The tires look brand new so I'm good on that end.  What would I look for on the chains or the sprockets?  The chain is a bit rusted on the outside but the inner part is shinny and smooth.  The sprockets look pretty sharp.  I'll take pictures tomorrow when it's light out but for now I'll just post my starter pic for posterity!  Hopefully this will turn into one of those "transformation" posts I've so enjoyed reading.

--Greg

[USN20]

It's always good to think safety. Is the bike mechanically safe to operate?

Start first with all the safety items. Prioritize the following in the order of your abilities and resources:

1. Are the brakes adjusted & working properly?
2. Tires in good condition and at the correct pressure?
3. Do all the lights & horn work?
4. Clutch & throttle cables operating smoothly?
5. Are all the nuts / bolts / screws / spokes present and tight?
6. Check for external leaks in the fuel & oil system?
7. Do you have the owners & service manual for a reference?
8. Fluid levels correct?
9. Check adjustment / condition of the chain & sprockets.

One of the best ways to inspect a bike is to spend the day and thoroughly clean it.

Welcome to the SOHC forums! 

[pddpimp]

Wow, thats one cool lookin ride, love the color.
Like stated before, get a manual and do the basics(as listed in other posts). Maybe clean the carbs (if ness.), and make sure cam chain is adjusted correct, that is something that is always overlooked. I got my bike cheap ($300), because it "needed" a cam chain(was making and aweful noise) and the PO didn't want to pay and get it fixed. I got it home, adjusted the tensioner, and it purrs like a kitten, no chain noise.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[formasfunction]

Thats a good list USN.  Here's what I have:

1. Not sure, I'll check that tomorrow after work.  It "feels" pretty good on the front, rear end seems to have a lot of give.
2. The tires look brand new.  I'll check the pressure tomorrow.
3. The headlight, taillight, and rear blinkers all work. The front blinkers don't (exposed, unconnected wires).  No horn at the moment.
4. This is one I should ask about.  The throttle seems a little stiff from 0 degrees to about 15 degrees but smoothes out after that.  More importantly when I first start it, before it's warmed up, if I pop the clutch and put it in first it inches forward on me like an automatic transmission in a car.  Once it's warmed up this stops.  Is this due to the viscosity of the fluid?
5. They seem to be.  The only things that I've noticed are loose is the chrome plate right behind the cylinders and the rear blinkers.
6. No known fuel leaks.  There might be a small leak that I mentioned in my last post, I'll look into that one tomorrow.
7. I just received the Clymer manual (God bless Amazon Prime!) but don't have the original manual.
8. The oil looked good, haven't check anything else yet.
9. What should I look for for this?

As for cleaning - I'm way ahead of you!  Definitely gave her a good shake down last weekend.

One other thing I didn't mention was that the speedometer face is gone and the odometer dials are melted (no idea how this happened) but the needle works fine.  I just ordered a speedometer from a 75 cb550 off of ebay so hopefully they are interchangeable.
I'd like to not just get her back to reliable working order (she seems pretty close to that, relatively speaking) but slowly improve her like so many of the wonderful bikes on this forum with better than stock parts.

--Greg

Thanks again for such a warm welcome.

[medic09]

If you haven't done so yet, take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation course.  It may save your life.

Try and find some old pro in the area who you can also ask for local advice (where to get parts, tools, etc.) and help.  It may be an old backyard mechanic, or even a shop if they have some old pros working on bikes.

Patience (the whiskey will help there).  Once you tear into things, it'll always take longer than planned:  natural complications and learning curve.

Great looking bike there!  Have fun!

[formasfunction]

If you haven't done so yet, take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation course.  It may save your life.

I actually just signed up for one today.  It's all next weekend and should certify me for my license all at the same time which will be great. (Yes, I've been driving around my neighborhood without a license, so sue me! I guess you actually could... At least there aren't any kids around, just a bunch of original home owners who bought/built the houses in the 50's.)  Good advice though, that was the first thing the person who sold it to me recommended.

I'm glad you like the color, it's a bit of a "pea-shooter" if you know what I mean .  Nothing like the 70's for some awesome stock paint jobs.  BTW, this is turning out to be an even better community than I realized.

[wardmoto]

I have tried twice to respond...I am now seeing red....everytime I respond and it doesn't work, the next gets shorter.  Make the bike like Honda says it should be.  Invest in your own skill.  Ride with your Pop and tell him what he did right as a father.  Repeat above as often as you can...Bikes came come back from beyond, people don't.

[formasfunction]

I have tried twice to respond...I am now seeing red....everytime I respond and it doesn't work, the next gets shorter.  Make the bike like Honda says it should be.  Invest in your own skill.  Ride with your Pop and tell him what he did right as a father.  Repeat above as often as you can...Bikes came come back from beyond, people don't.

Thats good advice and exactly what I'm hoping for.  You sound like someone who has lived a few more years than I have.  I'm 25 and just a few years ago I passed through the time in life when everyone seemed to be getting married.  It's just dawning on me that in another 10 years (at least, God willing) I'll be passing through the time when it seems like everyone I love - my parents and my friend's parents - will be passing away.  Nothing brings a boy and his father closer than... two single passenger vehicles?  I guess it works somehow!

And Wardmoto, a word of advice when posting in forums, right before I hit the send button I always select all of my text and hit "copy" in the tool bar so that if the forum messes up I can always just paste it right back into the form from my clipboard.  It's saved me many a headache.

--Greg

[KB02]

Welcome to the boards and the wonderful world of SOHC Honda's!! Not a whole lot of advise from me yet, but I CAN tell you that this place is awesome for getting info on your ride. I wouldn't be half as far into my bike as I am if it wasn't these wonderful people here.

One thing, though: As for your clutch: If you haven't changed the oil yet, do so. It sounds like you clutch is just sticking a little bit. Riding should make that go away, and the fresh oil will help. If it doesn't, try adjusting your clutch just a touch.

[jalfonso]

Welcome to the board Greg.  First thing I would do is get the bike roadworth and safe.  Then you can start replacing things as you see fit. You had mentioned you wanted a cafe racer.  Having one original and one cafe racer would be cool.  Of course let's not forget the 750s.  The possibilities are endless!   Oh and most importantly, practice what you they teach you in the rider safety course.  Good luck and Ride Safe!

[lassenc]

As for the hesitation on the throttle.

Check cable slack

And if you can, check if the chokes are working correct, moving all at the same time, and the slides are moving like they should.

[heffay]

chain and sprocket wear...

look at the pic below and compare the 2 sprockets.  the one further back is new, you can see that they have a flat outer edge.  the new one is closest and sprockets wear on the edges and also on the curve where the chain puts its force.  watch both those portions of your sprocket.

chains do get a bit rusty sometimes and it sounds like you at least need some chain wax or lube.  buy the appropriate lube for either an oring chain or non-oring chain.  the orings are between the links and you can see a small portion of them squeezed in there.  there are 2 orings for each joint.

old chains get really noisy and another way to tell is to roll the bike around while watching the chain... if even one of the link joints tends to stick and not bend easily into the angle that it is supposed to be (straight and moving to the next sprocket or curving around the sprocket) it is time for a new chain.

btw, that worn sprocket is worse than most i've ever seen and it should have been replaced long before the pic was ever taken.  in my opinion...

hope that helps

[Brent C.]

Sweet ride!! I love that color!! I too just bought my first SOHC...but not my first bike....about my 7th.....Good luck and ride safe!!!

[formasfunction]

Well, just got back from getting the plates for this baby at the DMV which was a little more than I had calculated in my head but isn't it nice that on this fine occasion I was able to "forget" taxes, even if it did put me out another $50.  One thing I found out in the registration process ("please check that your information is correct...") is that it's actually a 1975, not a 74.  I think I must have looked at a 74 at some point and latched onto that number.

This weekend I'll get certified and on monday I should have my license.  First order of business is to get a killer (or rather just the opposite) helmet.  Any suggestions for something in the $150 range?  I definitely want to go full face - my parents didn't pay thousands to straighten these pearly whites only to have them replaced prematurely.

Can't wait to get home from work today and see exactly what I need to order parts wise.  Seems like waiting for that big brown truck is probably more painful than most of the actual work.  I'll take a bunch of pictures and let you guys have a look at the finer details, see what you think I'm in for.

[super pasty white guy]

Contratulations-  It sounds like things are shaping up for you.  Nice lookin bike, I've always liked that color too.

I just bought my first helmet and my suggestion would be to go to a store that has a good selection and try on as many different models as possible without looking at the price.  Then narrow down you search based on what fits.  I found that the most comfortable helmet for my head was twice what I'd planned on paying, but I suspect that a comfortable helmet is totally worth it.

Oh-  www.webbikeworld.com has some really good helmet reviews.

dave

[OldSchool_IsCool]

Welcome Greg!  You have stumbled onto a GREAT bike and a GREAT forum! 

It's just my opinion, you will do with your bike as you wish, but it's so close to original, that I would keep it stock.  Find a rat bike with a torn seat, rusted exhaust and nappy tank to turn into your cafe.  I sure don't begrudge anyone owning a "polish'n bike" (caugh caugh, Hardly Riders, caugh caugh), but you definitly want a bike you can ride daily too!  I live it the Great White North (Michigan) and sure got a lot of strange looks from people when I rode to work during a few unseasonably warm February days.  I also got as many looks of envy from the Hardly riders, wishing they dare take their bike out of storage.

Here is some advise and observations I gave to another new rider/new mechanic not long ago.  (revised as I've learn something new every day!)

- the brakes suck, don't ride past your ability to stop
- don't let fuel leaks go unattended, especially above the engine (don't ask how I know    )
- pull the plug caps off the plug wires.  If there is any green in there, shine up the spike in the cap and trim the wire back to clean copper.  Don't cut too short tho!!
- Double check that you have the right plugs.  Your caps have resistance, your plugs shouldn't.
- 15-amp fuses --- don't leave home without some!
- a bad fuse can "look" good.  If you suspect it, replace it. 
- The 550 has a habit of "melting" it's fuses under the cap where you can't see it.  If this happens to you, search the forum for tre solution
- watch your tire pressure close
- you have a "wet" sump and "wet" clutch (i.e motor oil rests in the bottom of your engine and is supposed to be in the clutch)
- oil level is measured with the dip stick set in the hole, not screwed down
- Chain lube that doesn't fling off the chain and onto your pants hasn't been invented yet
- Old School is COOL! (heard that somewhere)
- exhaust megaphones are WAY over priced!
- SeaFoam (gas addative) is awesome! (pause while those that disagree roll their eyes)
- death, taxes, and SOHC/4 oil leaks
- OEM gaskets are the only way to go (yes, Honda still makes them)
- for better battery charging, run your engine at or above 3000 RPM
- HondaMan and TwoTired are God's!  Glad to have them as members here as well as the rest of the clan!
- The moderators are way under appreciated!
- Crotch rockets hurt my back just looking at them
- downshift, throttle, bubye!
- Cagers (vehicles with 4 or more wheels) are not to be trusted
- A helmet and a leather jacket are instant cool!
- Any distraction (radio, iPod, cell phone, beautiful girl) can mean death on these machines.
- Only a motorcyclist knows why a dog loves to stick it's head out a car window
- forget about wheelies, front or back
- High side, low side, super man --- I'd rather avoid the crash all together.  (your safety class will explain this)
- the rear wheel adjustment notches aren't accurate.  Measure from rim to swing arm on both sides to align the rear wheel
- don't expect three-digit milage.  These bikes weren't built for fuel efficiency.  Anything above 40 is great!
- the speedometer will read about 5 MPH over your actual speed
- wiring, especially the connectors, need TLC.  Spend a day shining and packing them with dielectric grease
- don't let moisture get into your points!! if the gasket is bad, a little high-temp grease will get you back on the road while you wait for the replacement.
- if you have the under-seat tool kit, don't leave it on the shop bench when you ride!
- if you don't have an under-seat tool kit, get one or assemble one of your own
- keep the greasy side down and the leathery side up!
- no matter how long you have ridden, you are never fully prepared
- know your limits and the limits of your machine, respect them both!
- reasonable engine breaking (downshifting) is not going to hurt anything.  With as bad as these brakes are, practice it.
- practice panic stops too!  May save your life some day
- your front brake is 80% of your braking power
- don't take your bike to the auto wash if you plan to ride it home (again, don't ask how I know!  )
- a novice rider is a dangerous thing, so is a novice mechanic.  Doubly so when they are the SAME person!  I know this because that describes me!  Hook up with an old timer mechanic, someone who has actually HEARD of points!  Let them give your bike the once over twice so that all those subtle yet deadly things you and I might miss will get caught.
- You can park almost anywhere
- If you pack them in carefully, you can get 6 bikes in the garage space where your car used to be 
- you almost never walk away from your car - backwards.
- Nobody wishes they were you when you ride in your car
- We are a community, with our own language, and we wave at each other when we pass by
- Oh, the conversations you will get into when some old-timer walk up as says "I used to ride one of those!"
- Getting lost on your bike only means you get to ride more
- Car drivers never say "Man, I'm really ON today!"
- A motorcycle is it's own roller-coaster, any YOU control the thrills
- the whiskey is for contemplative and celebratory times, not for ride'n or wrench'n times
- the painted lines and figures on the road are very slipery when wet.  Don't stop on top of any if you want to keep your paint in good shape.

[formasfunction]

Wow, these are all of the things I wish they'd tell you in the programming forums I visit rather than just flaming you for being a newbie!  Thanks for taking the time to make such a great list.  I'd like to find some old grease monkeys to hang out with but I'm not exactly sure where to start.  To be honest I feel a little bit like the kid who bought a Delorean but doesn't even know how to drive a stick.  I think the word is "poser."  Ha.  Where should I look to get some new found comradery?  Anyone else on this board from the Nashville area?

it's so close to original, that I would keep it stock.

I think I'm with you on this one.  Everything is in pretty good shape and being new at this I think it'll be easier to paint by numbers than color outside of the lines.

Oh-  www.webbikeworld.com has some really good helmet reviews.

Thanks for the link!  I'll dig through it while watching Lost tonight.  I'm allowed to have a second indulgence aren't I?

[Uncleben89]

I still feel like a poser on this site, and I feel like I've done a fair bit of work on the bike.  I'm sure I'll laugh at that idea in 10 years.
Don't be afraid to ask noob questions, just use the search function first.

Be prepared to spend waaay more money than you were expecting.  The mechanical and SOHC love make it worth it... but if you just want to ride, newer bikes are going to be much cheaper in the long run.

Mine was in worse shape when I bought it (worse shape today too), but welcome and good times.

*if you see posts by TT (two tiered) copy it to a word file and memorize it.  That guy owns.

[OldSchool_IsCool]

Search first, ask second, wrench third.  With that wee bit of wisdom, you will go a LONG way!!!

- Don't look for an "old timer" at any shop that advertises "Harley-Davidson and American V-Twin".  The only tool they know how to use is a wallet vacuum.
- COBOL is for old men
- If you open a database connection, close it, especially under error conditions
- Like SOHC/4, UNIX will get you in touch with your inner mechanic/programmer
- read "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance", be sure to walk away with the lesson that you don't have to be the Master of technology, but you sure don't want to be it's bytch!
- Programming languages come and go.  Don't get caught up in "first love"
- only DATA lives forever
- electronic points sound cool, but try to fix them with only a screw driver and the scratch pad off a book of matches while stranded roadside
- a well tuned engine is second only to orgasm... but not by much
- These bikes have few redundant systems and error conditions usually mean scars, get it right the FIRST time!

[csendker]

Welcome fellow '75 550K1 owner!  When I got mine 2 years ago (first bike), I had just graduated from MSF and just got my licence.  I bought the first bike I looked at, and lucked out with a solid runner.  My trusty auto mechanic rides, so I dropped it off there for a 'once-over safety' look-see.  Since then, I've done everything myself - with the support of this forum.

I'd suggest safety first, function second and form third.  Brakes and make sure everything is tight first. A full tune-up is likely in order, second.  Making her look nice is third, or an easy thing to segue into when you hit a brick wall somewhere.  I saved this list (or stole it, can't recall) for the proper tune-up sequence:

Tune-up process - cold engine:
1.   Pull spark plugs
2.   Set valve tappets
3.   Adjust cam chain tension
4.   Compression check (cold)  Compare with previous numbers, (I know, best numbers are when engine hot)
5.   Dress points - Set point gap, and static time
6.   Replace or clean/gap plugs; install with anti-seize
7.   Replace or clean air filter
8.   Clean oil breather element foam
9.   Start/ warm engine with fan blowing on it
10.   Stop engine install vacuum gauges
11.   Restart check/adjust vacuum sync
12.   Tweak Idle screws as necessary
13.   Change oil/filter
14.   Grease swing arm fittings
15.   Check tire pressures
16.   Check/adjust drive chain tension
17.   Check for loose spokes
18.   Check battery fluid levels
19.   Test ride
20.   TEST ride
21.   test RIDE
22.   TEST RIDE
23.   When done for the day, lube drive chain

Carb sync makes the engine hot.  Valve clearances are adjusted cold.

Not having a carb synch or compression tester, I skip those steps.

I bought a drop-in Uni foam air filter (with cleaner & oil) because I didn't want to keep buying paper elements.  I also know I'm living on borrowed time with my carbs, but I scored a couple of sets of carbs off e-buy to rebuild (someday...) while I keep riding, then I'll do a "quick" swap to minimize down time.  If you need manuals, I have electronic copies of the official Honda service manual, owner's manual, exploded parts diagrams, parts manual, carb manuals, etc.  Drop an e-mail and I'll send some of this stuff your way.  Enjoy and ride safe.

[formasfunction]

Like SOHC/4, UNIX will get you in touch with your inner mechanic/programmer

Ha.  Old School it sounds like you're a fellow coder.  I have to admit, I'm only a graphic designer who's managed to pick up some command line skills and a little bit of PHP/MySQL here and there.  Those guys certainly aren't as friendly over there, though - you'd think that poor code formatting was a life or death situation by the way they talk whereas over here it's just a bunch of friends saying "yeah, don't do anything stupid!"

These bikes have few redundant systems and error conditions usually mean scars, get it right the FIRST time!

You mean these things don't have a RAID?  Jeez, the 70's really were a "fly by the seat of your pants" time to live!

Csendker - thanks for your list, it's the most straight forward step by step one I've seen yet and it's about to be printed out in 5pt font and folded into my wallet.  I sent you an email earlier tonight asking for those manuals.

So I only had a few minutes when I came home from work to fool around with things but I oiled my chain and it seemed to make all the difference in the world in terms of that clanking sound I was hearing.  I think it's still there but it's not nearly as loud (it wasn't that loud to begin with) and might be on it's way out.  I only rode about a 1/4 mile before I had to put her up.  However, I did snap some shots to give you guys an overview of the bike.  Let me know if there are any other external shots that may be helpful.

This sprocket pic is upside down:

Both tires look brand new.





There's oil leaking out of the seal where the arrow is pointing.

[kettlesd]

Let me chime in with everyone else and say welcome aboard!

First off, i have to say that if you haven't already bought a Clymer or Honda shop manual for your machine, then do so asap. Worth their weight in gold - and the best tool you can ever have when you pair it with this forum. The guys here are great. Clymer manuals are more informative and detailed in their step-by-step instructions that the Haynes manuals.

BTW - Is the pic of your chain upside down?? I believe it is, or the master link in your chain is on backwards. The open end of the "U" should always face away from the direction of chain travel, else they CAN theoretically get knocked off.